San Francisco Learning Center Blends with Renovated and Renamed San Mateo Center

The last class of Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students at the San Francisco Learning Center was pinned on November 2. As of November 12, the new November cohort and the ongoing April cohort are attending classes at the San Mateo Learning Center, which has been renamed the San Francisco Peninsula Learning Center.

The San Francisco Peninsula Learning Center will now be home to 192 students and 16 faculty members, four administrative assistants, two associate managing directors, and a managing director. The redesigned center offers students more space, including a dedicated library/quiet study area with carrels and charging stations, computer lab, student lounge, three spacious and well-equipped classrooms and more natural light. The new skills lab includes two simulation suites and nine practice beds.

"There are many people to thank for helping us through such a major change," says Dr. Nancy Haugen, Program Chair, ABSN. "The facilities team of Lillian Harvin and Maurice Borden translated our needs and choices into reality. The transition task force made up of Kristina Donohoue, Paul Smith, Pamela Minarik, Alyssa Erickson, Karin Kasper, Denise Dyer and Mileva Saulo Lewis carefully considered all of the details of the move. Faculty and staff accomplished a great feat by packing and unpacking many boxes of equipment, furniture and supplies. Last but certainly not least, the IT team of Marcus Walton, Paul Monegas, and Tal Schrey had our computers and phones moved and up and running in short order."

Mileva Saulo Lewis, Managing Director of the San Mateo Learning Center, said a consultant hired by the University helped with issues and concerns surrounding the transition. "More importantly, we established goals for the next year, which are well under way," she said. "We also want to find ways to use our expertise to impact the communities in which our students have their clinical experiences."

Saulo Lewis said their first joint effort will be to collect socks and mittens/gloves for Friendship House in San Francisco, a drug and alcohol treatment center for American Indians. It was chosen because San Francisco and San Mateo students share the center as a community health clinical site.

"I want to personally thank everyone who has had their fingerprints on this transition, including movers, electricians, and carpenters who worked around our class schedules," added Saulo Lewis. "I am particularly grateful to the entire team: amid packing, moving, unpacking, moving a second time, construction noise, living out of boxes, and dealing with ambiguity, uncertainty and the OMG moments, their dedication to students and assuring our educational mission never wavered. I consider myself fortunate to be among them."